| WARNING! This article contains spoilers from the Anime and Light Novel. Scroll & Read at your own risk! |
Lady Ah-Duo (阿多, Āduo?) is a secondary character in The Apothecary Diaries. She was formerly the Pure Consort of the Garnet Pavilion, but now lives in the Southern Imperial Villa.
Appearance[]
Ah-Duo's Anime Design
Ah-Duo has black clear eyes and long black hair that she ties back. Although a woman and by far the oldest among the consorts, her appearance is akin to that of a handsome young man. She bears a striking resemblance to her biological son Jinshi, including an outstanding and androgynous beauty. She is often seen wearing simple clothes without any needless decoration.
Personality[]
Ah Duo's full color in the manga, featuring a long ponytail and a hunting uniform.
Ah-Duo possesses a rather tomboyish personality, to the point where she sees the Emperor of Li as an old friend and not as a lover since the loss of their son.[4] She is a very confident and caring woman with strong maternal instincts, especially towards younger women. Her childhood dream was to become a court official, a position illegal for women to hold.
Abilities[]
Intelligence: Ah-Duo is noted to be very clever and practical, but in contrast, her emotional intelligence is somewhat lacking.
Charisma: With her beauty and noble personality, Ah-Duo has a similar natural charm to Jinshi as she is able to captivate the hearts of many, particularly young women. Her ladies-in-waiting were extremely loyal to her — particularly Fengming, her head lady-in-waiting — and were willing to die for her, a testament to her character.
Influence: As the Emperor's childhood friend and first love, Ah-Duo held considerable power within the inner and outer courts as the Pure Consort, but was ultimately forced out of her position as a high consort by the Prime Minister, Shishou, due to her inability to produce heirs.[4] Even after losing her high-ranking position, she still has certain influence in politics as an unofficial adviser and confidant of the Emperor.
Background[]
Ah-Duo is the beloved daughter of Suiren, the trusted former lady-in-waiting of Dowager Empress Anshi and wet nurse of the Emperor.[5] As milk siblings, Ah-Duo and the Emperor were very close growing up. He fell in love with her and promised that she would be his only wife; she responded half-jokingly that he should make her the next empress dowager.
When the current Emperor was still the Crown Prince, Ah-Duo was his only consort and conceived a son. Their son's delivery was very difficult, in part because it coincided with that of his uncle, the Imperial Brother. Deemed a lower priority compared to Anshi, Ah-Duo was denied proper medical care. Both her and her baby should have died, but the inner court physician, Luomen, removed her womb to ensure their survival. As a result, she lost her fertility, but kept her status as a consort. To give her son the best chance of survival, Ah-Duo organized a switch between her son and the Imperial Brother, who would be prioritized first in terms of safety, with Anshi's consent. As such, her son was raised as his biological father's younger brother. Ah-Duo's plan proved to save her son's life, as Fengming accidentally killed the switched Imperial Brother by feeding him honey. As a result, Luomen was blamed and banished from the Imperial Palace.
During the next years, Ah-Duo protected Lishu, a young girl forced by her unscrupulous family to become a high consort, from the Former Emperor, who was a notorious pedophile who feared adult women. Over time, Ah-Duo and the Crown Prince grew to see Lishu as their surrogate daughter. Upon the Crown Prince's accession as Emperor, Ah-Duo and Lishu were instated as the Pure and Virtuous Consorts respectively, though in titles only.
Five years into the Emperor's reign, Ah-Duo was forced out of her position as a high consort by Shishou, who replaced her with his daughter Loulan. After her departure from the Inner Court, Ah-Duo was given the Southern Imperial Villa by the Emperor to live in. At the personal petition of Jinshi, whom with she kept a close relationship during their time in the Imperial Harem, she took on the role of host, caretaker, and protector for a growing number of individuals that for one reason or another need to "disappear", including Suirei, the other children of the Shi Clan, and the Shrine Maiden of Shaoh.[6]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Her name, Ah-Duo, in Chinese is considered an uneducated name, consistent with the fact that her mother is a servant.
- "A" (Ah) is a common diminutive prefix for names, often used by people from a lower social class. Similar to a -y ending in English names.
- "Duo" means "many", which might refer to wealth, fertility, or prosperity in general.
- Like Lishu, her name lacks femininity, reflecting her character.
References[]
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 4, Chapter 9
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 5, Prologue
- ↑ ANIME FREAKS (Abema TV) - アニメ「薬屋のひとりごと」声優・キャラクター一覧｜全キャスト96人を網羅 (in Japanese; in English: List of voice actors and characters for the anime "The Apothecary Diaries" | All 96 cast members
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 1, Chapter 30
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 5, Prologue
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 7, Chapter 22
Feilong • Fengming • Fengxian • Fuyou ☆ Gaoshun • Guen/Quack Doctor • Guiyuan • Gyokuen • Gyokujun • Gyoku-ou • Gyokuyou
Haku-u • Hongniang • Hulan ☆ Jazgul • Jin • Jinshi • Joka • Junjie ☆ Kanan • King of Shaoh • Koku-u • Kokuyou • Kounen
Lahan • Lahan's Older Brother • Lakan • Lakou • Dr. Li • Lihaku • Lihua • Lingli • Lishu • Dr. Liu • Lo-en • Loulan • Luomen
Maamei • Madam • Maomao • Maomao, the Cat • Meimei ☆ Onsou • Oracle ☆ Pairin ☆ Rikuson
Sanfan • Sazen • Seki-u • Shenlü • Shenmei • Shikyou • Shin • Shishou • Shisui • Shrine Maiden of Shaoh • Suirei • Suirei's Mother • Suiren • Sotei
Taihou • Taomei • Tianyu ☆ Ujun • Ukyou • Uryuu ☆ Xiaohong • Xiaolan ☆ Yakou • Yao • Yinghua • Yinxing • Yo • Dr. You ☆ Zulin
Crown Prince • Emperor • Empress Regnant • Former Emperor • Imperial Brother